The Colonies of Benevolence from Meerle to Beerse

GPS recording of 3 May 2020 Corona ride from Meerle to Beerse adjusted after the corona on 9 September 2020

The idea of The Colonies of Benevolence came from General Johannes van den Bosch from 1818 who wanted to combat poverty after French rule. His experiment was not an unqualified success. The Colonies of Benevolence were established between 1818 and 1825. The project was there to put impoverished city dwellers back on the right path. Striking in every Colony, were the social and educational facilities. However, the inhabitants also had to work hard and adhere to the strict rules. The Colonies are recognizable by their unique avenues and buildings that are very similar. Moreover, they are still in good condition. Even today, the Colonies are still very visible in the landscape and perform functions in line with their original reason for existence. Because of its cultural-historical value, 14 partners from the Netherlands and Belgium signed the charter on 5 July 2012 to jointly get the Colonies of Benevolence on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018.

On July 26, 2021, it was announced that the Colonies of Benevolence were added to the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST